27 May 2017
She wasn’t sure what to order. Staring at the chalkboard-hung menus, she scanned through the appetising breakfast options. God only knows how long she stood there deciding -it was a duration long enough for the cashier to ask her “what would you like to order?” twice, only for her to brush them off a second time before she asked for a recommendation. It was only then she decided she wanted a smoked salmon eggs benedict. The cashier happily typed it into the register, patient about the girl’s indecisiveness. She was a bubbly woman. One with a Korean accent, and a temperament to take care of guests.
Many of the tables were already taken, and she was forced to take a seat in the corner seat under the heated lamp. She didn’t mind though. Her legs took on numbness until the heat warmed her insides. The café had such a friendly atmosphere, and she loved it. The interior decoration took her eyes also.
Every corner and table took her eye. It wasn’t as if the furniture itself was interesting, it was the people. She watched as her cashier served the pair of women beside her. They were related in some way, and they spoke of their travels. The multi-purpose employee happily made small-talk with them. One of the women said she hopes to return next September. The cashier, or waitress, intrigued the girl. Not because she was odd in any way, but because she had such a friendly demeanour which seemed to spread like a virus. She would make such a great con artist.
Next, came her breakfast. She was served by the same charismatic woman, “It’s made with love”, to which she briskly gave her thanks. Her knife made its way into the sourdough, stopping at each end of the crust. Her picky taste buds did not reject the food, which was a good sign, but they weren’t ecstatic about the taste either. However, she enjoyed it. Whether it was because of the woman who was nice to her, or if it was solely because she was hungry, she enjoyed it.
A trip for a change was something she really needed. The stark difference in atmospheres soothed her depressed temperament. The pressures from parents and teachers faded away in that one encounter with an unknown café. She was happy. But her thoughts revisiting reality, caused a minor upset. Her eyes, a little clouded, were left to dry under the heated lamp and she opted to think about the good things. Only good things.
水 